Naturally, we at Fondsfrauen care deeply about women's careers. But what good is the finest career if health issues disrupt one's life? Fundamentally, women take quite good care of their health, at least more so than men. On average, we women pay more attention to diet and weight, maintain a healthier lifestyle overall, and also keep up with preventive medical appointments. Whether this is the reason women in Germany live nearly five years longer than men, with an average lifespan of 83.4 years compared to men's expectancy of only 78.6 years, remains a question. Lebenserwartung von 78,6 rechnen können?
Especially important after menopause
Even though women generally live healthier lives, it's crucial that we pay special attention to our health after menopause. Why? Estrogens play a significant role in women's health. "Between puberty and menopause, female hormones have a vasodilating effect, which can prevent coronary heart disease. Moreover, they positively influence lipid metabolism, thereby also cholesterol levels and thus prevent vascular deposits," writes ZDF today in its article "Women's bodies tick differently" on Women's Health Day.Here´s the Article .
From menopause onwards, unfortunately, estrogen levels drop, and with them, the protection. Then, the risk of diabetes, heart attack, high blood pressure, and dementia for women approaches or even exceeds that of men.
8 health tips for a long, healthy life
So, what to do? It sounds trivial, but a healthy lifestyle helps. Researchers from the American Heart Association (AHA) have analyzed data from more than 6,500 adults with an average age of 47 years and developed a list of the 8 most important health tips, the "Life's Essential 8".Life’s Essential 8- Here they are:
- Eat healthily! Fresh foods, fruits, and vegetables should be abundant in your diet, as well as proteins, nuts, seeds, etc. Women generally have a good handle on healthy eating.
- Be more active and move more! Adults should do at least 2 ½ hours of moderate or 75 minutes of intense exercise per week. Children should move around for at least 60 minutes every day.
- Stop smoking!
- Ensure healthy sleep! Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night. It promotes the body's healing processes, improves brain function, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
- Maintain a healthy weight! Most women already pay attention to their figure and therefore their weight. Physicians consider a Body Mass Index (BMI) under 25 as optimal. Below 18.5, however, is considered underweight. Some use waist circumference as a measure to better assess the health risk of being overweight.
- Check your cholesterol. There is "good" and "bad" cholesterol. Healthy, light eating and exercise help keep cholesterol levels in a healthy balance.
- Watch your blood sugar. Here again, healthy eating, exercise, and avoiding nicotine help.
- Check your blood pressure. Here, healthy eating, exercise, avoiding nicotine, and also getting enough sleep have a positive effect.
Following these 8 rules can drastically reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious health problems. Yes, it can even slow down the aging process of the body by up to six years, according to AHA researchers.
Exercise is important and fun!
Of all the measures, exercise is probably the most enjoyable. And because exercise is a great thing and promotes health, we should care about more physical activity in everyday life. No time for sports? Maybe these everyday tips can help:
- Where possible, take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
- Go for a walk around the block with a colleague instead of hanging out during the lunch break.
- Get off the bus, subway, or tram a station earlier and walk the last bit.
- Treat yourself to at least one sporting activity on the weekend (dancing, walking, hiking, swimming, cycling, climbing, …).
- Plan at least one sporting activity during the week (jogging, yoga class, gym,…).
Team "Fondsfrauen" at the Women's Run at Lake Constance
And for those of you who want to join us on Saturday, June 8th, for the Women's Run at Lake Constance: We look forward to meeting you there at the start, and a glass of Prosecco awaits every Fondsfrauen participant at the finish line (Bregenz sports field) – we've earned it!
The Lake Constance Women's Run is really something special: summer, sun, lake – This unique Lake Constance panorama, carried by the cheering audience and entertainment along the entire route.
- 8 June 17:30: Start Women's Run 10km
- 8 June 18:30: Start Women's Run 5km
And so we can recognize each other, every participant who registers with team "Fondsfrauen" will receive a Fondsfrauen running T-shirt. Let yourself be surprised! Please give us your start number and T-shirt size (S, M, L, XL, XXL) by May 15, 2024, and we will include your T-shirt in the start package with your start number. Here you can register. Click on "Individual registration" and go through the registration process. In the field "Team/Club" enter "Fondsfrauen". Then we will be listed together as one team.
We look forward to seeing many of you there! And for those who can't come, you can of course also train at home. That too positively contributes to your health account!
Anke Dembowski is a financial journalist and author of various investment fund-related and other financial books. She is also a co-founder of the "Fondsfrauen" network.